Real-ear output measures of ear level fluency devices

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• SpeechEasy™ devices utilize altered auditory feedback (AAF) to potentially improve speech fluency.
• Understanding the acoustic output of these devices is crucial for effective fitting and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure real-ear aided and saturated responses of SpeechEasy™ devices.
• To compare device responses with altered auditory feedback (AAF) versus non-altered feedback (NAF).

Main Methods:

• A repeated measures quasi-experimental design was used.
• Ten participants with SpeechEasy™ devices underwent probe microphone measurements using speech and chirp stimuli.
• Device outputs were compared between AAF (delayed and frequency-shifted) and NAF conditions.

Main Results:

• Maximum device outputs ranged from 100-105 dB SPL between 2000-4000 Hz.
• Significant differences in SPL output were observed for chirp stimuli between AAF and NAF settings (p <.05).
• No significant difference was found for speech stimuli (p = .17), and device output varied individually, influenced by open-fit resonance.

Conclusions:

• Real-ear aided responses to speech were equivalent with AAF and NAF.
• Real-ear saturated responses were not comparable between AAF and NAF settings.
• AAF delay may lead to underestimation of real-ear saturated responses if not considered.